Nearly 3,000 A-4s were built between 1956 and 1979.
Top Aces' A-4N Skyhawks at Nordholz
In northern Germany, at the Germany Navy base at Nordholz, contract aggressor company Top Aces operates a squadron of deeply upgraded Douglas A-4N Skyhawks to provide “red air” training for European air forces. TWZ’s Jamie Hunter traveled to Nordholz for the outlet’s “Special Access” series and saw these aircraft up close, describing them as among the last Skyhawks flying and, at the same time, the most modern examples of the type.
The A-4’s pedigree and modernized footprint
The Skyhawk is an established design: nearly 3,000 A-4s were built between 1956 and 1979. Top Aces’ examples are Douglas A-4N variants that the company has “deeply upgraded,” turning an iconic—and by one characterization, “nearly antique”—airframe into a contemporary tool for adversary training. The company’s Skyhawks are presented in the report as both remnants of a long production run and as refurbished, mission-relevant platforms.
Audit-ready is a season. It shouldn't be.
Evidence in spreadsheets, controls drifting between audits, frameworks multiplying on flat headcount. Nubivance runs continuous compliance on Rapid7 Cyber GRC - SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, PCI, CMMC.
End the scrambleOperating as “red air” against capable fighters
The Skyhawks at Nordholz are employed specifically to play the adversary role in training: the report says they support European air arms for their “red air” training needs. In his reporting, Jamie Hunter learned what it was like to operate these upgraded Skyhawks “against some of the world’s most capable fighters,” a phrase the piece uses to convey the level of opposition the jets are flown against in training scenarios.
F-16 arrival: a planned capability expansion
The piece identifies a significant development on Top Aces’ European horizon: the arrival of F-16s. According to the report, these F-16s will further enhance the company’s aggressor services for its growing list of European customers. The introduction of F-16s is presented as a planned expansion rather than a completed transition, and it is linked directly to the company’s increasing activity in Europe as reflected by its customer base.
What this means for European air arms, Top Aces, and the Nordholz host base
European air arms: These services provide “red air” training options using both deeply upgraded A-4Ns today and additional F-16 capability in the near term, according to the report. That combination is described as serving a “growing list of European customers.”
Top Aces: The company is operating legacy airframes that have been heavily modernized and is planning to expand its fleet in Europe with F-16s, positioning itself to broaden its adversary-training offerings.
The Nordholz base: The Germany Navy facility hosted Top Aces’ A-4Ns and was the location where TWZ’s Jamie Hunter observed the jets operating up close for the “Special Access” episode.
The image in the report is straightforward: an old design, the Douglas A-4, persists in active service through modernization and contractor-operated training missions in Europe, and that persistence is about to be joined by a newer type in Top Aces’ inventory. TWZ’s reporting emphasizes both the continuity—the presence of a long-lived airframe—and an imminent change in capability with the planned arrival of F-16s to support an expanding roster of European customers.
For readers wanting to see the reporting and visuals that underlie this account, the original TWZ piece is available here: https://www.twz.com/air/a-4-super-skyhawks-playing-the-bad-guys-in-european-skies.
